Pushing limits helps BTI reach 30 years
Written By: Butler Business Matters
Topping the to-do list on Nadine Tripodi’s work whiteboard is a handwritten message: “Solve the problem and move on”.
The magic marker scribble appears to have been quickly memorialized, yet long-lived.
“No one has ever accused me of being too patient,” said Tripodi, who has helped grow Butler Technologies Inc. from a two-person calculated risk to a worldwide force in an industry the general public likely uses daily but doesn’t acknowledge: printed electronics and user interface.
Now, as BTI marks its 30th anniversary, there are some traits people have attributed to Tripodi: creativity, compassion, and foresight.
Recently Tripodi took a minute to reflect on her entrepreneurial journey.
Butler Technologies, like many legacy businesses, has faced its share of hurdles and, as the whiteboard says, moved on.
“I don’t know that we have the option to be negative,” Tripodi said. “Every time you turn around something comes down the pike. That’s the beauty of it. Nothing is predictable. And if it was, I’d think I was doing something wrong.”
But in trademark fashion, Tripodi quickly switched the topic to the future.
“You have to have someone who pushes the limits. We could just respond to what customers are asking us,” Tripodi said. “But if we didn’t have a force to say, ‘Let’s try this,’ I don’t think we would be able to grow into the future.”
Tech, talent and continued, calculated risk, Tripodi said, open the door to endless possibilities for Butler Technologies’ innovations.
“With 3-D printing and AI (artificial intelligence) and so many other things out there … it is simply unimaginable where we could go,” Tripodi said.
The beginning
You cannot tell the Butler Technologies’ history without first talking about the synergy between Tripodi and William Darney Jr.
“We really appreciated each other’s talents,” Tripodi said, noting Darney knew how to argue with her in a way that resulted in the best outcome for everyone. While many friendships fail under the pressure of co-owning a startup, the pair thrived. “My children looked at Bill almost as a second father,” Tripodi said.
Darney was a one-time co-worker with Tripodi at a Pittsburgh-based printing company. In 1990, the pair cut loose and opened their own operation.
“We recognized the value of functional and industrial printing. We quit our jobs and started this company which was a little scary to do when we both were the primary bread winners in our families, and I had young children at the time.”
The company product line started with graphic overlays and membrane switches. Uses for these could include a dial on a boat or a warning label on a piece of medical equipment.
It was the same type of business both had done previously, and Tripodi said there was a lure to the creative process.
“I really like to make things, especially with print. I made my parents crazy with paint-by-numbers as a child, and I remember getting a printing press for Christmas the same year we moved into a new home. I spilled the ink on the carpet. I wasn’t the favorite child that year,” said Tripodi, who was third born of eight siblings.
Tripodi and Darney first set up shop in a gifted space, the basement of realtor Kathryn Helfer on Pittsburgh Road. But just six weeks after opening, Butler Technologies faced its first hurdle. Tripodi and Darney’s previous employer filed a lawsuit that would delay certain activities for four years.
The pair worked as print brokers until the suit ran its course. And in 1993, they bought the current company headquarters on West Wayne Street and built a workshop from equipment gathered at auctions and sales.
In the beginning, Tripodi manned the sales team and Darney oversaw production. “Halfway through, we switched and I did production,” Tripodi said.
Recognizing Darney was older than Tripodi and likely to retire earlier, they found it prudent to familiarize Tripodi with all aspects of the business.
“I love the production. I love seeing people putting things together and making them work,” Tripodi said.
Darney retired in 2010 and passed away in 2016.
“It was a big adjustment going from having a partner to not, and he was a great friend,” Tripodi said.
Today you will still see Darney’s photograph displayed in Butler Technologies, and the company named an in-house employee recognition award in his honor.
Pushing boundaries
Tripodi said the stable and dependable road for Butler Technologies would have been to rely on manufacturing already popular products. But that is not the path chosen.
Instead, engineers were encouraged to push boundaries in research and development, especially in the area of printed sensors and “wearables” which are sensors that can be adhered to clothing, wristwatches and other flexible materials.
“We were always looking for possibilities for ourselves and for customers. At the beginning we wanted to do it and prove it could be done,” Tripodi said. “But the market wasn’t ready.”
Only in the past few years has that changed, Tripodi said, with worldwide inquiries and implications.
In 2018, the company gained attention when fashion designer Ralph Lauren incorporated a Butler Technologies’ product in their design crafted for heated jackets for U.S Olympic athletes.
“Be patient with technology,” Tripodi advised. “As much as it is a game-changer and comes at you quickly, it’s likely been in development for years. Butler Technologies, for example, has been working with printed electronics and formable flexible printed images for about 10 years. We were fortunate to be at the beginning, trying to print flexible substances and make inks flexible.”
Even with the recent uptick in product interest, Tripodi said the company is busy planning.
“We are asking, ‘where do we want to be in 10 years?’” said Tripodi, who now works side-by-side her son, Tristan, who is general manager. “And I can’t wait to see what the next (development) is.”
With about 70 employees, BTI is fortunately placed in the Pittsburgh region where many corresponding innovations are under development.
Even more fortunate, Tripodi said, is the company’s location in Butler County.
“Butler is poised for some really good things … we have great leaders like (county chief of economic development and planning) Mark Gordon, the commissioners, and Joe Saeler at the CDC,” said Tripodi, who sits on the board of the Community Development Corporation of Butler County, Catalyst Connection (a nonprofit helping small manufacturers), and the Redevelopment Authority of the City of Butler.
A member of the Butler County Chamber of Commerce since 1990, Tripodi was the 2015 recipient of the William A. Morgan Jr. Entrepreneur of the Year Award for business inventiveness and dedication.
“(Butler Technologies) is continuously researching opportunities for growth in order to maintain a financially sound, prosperous and innovative workplace,” said chamber President Stan Kosciuszko.
Most recently, Tripodi was selected to join the 16-member Butler County Community College board of trustees, a decision praised by Joseph Kubit, board chairman.
“Tripodi’s sector of the manufacturing industry has changed repeatedly since the early 1990s,” Kubit said.
Her “ability to recognize changed in the market and make necessary changes to her business is a great skill. This is something that every institution or business has to be able to do not only to survive, but to grow, in meeting its customers’ changing needs and expectations. This applies to the college setting, as well. She will be a great addition to the board.”
College President Nick Neupauer said Tripodi, “brings a wealth of experience, expertise, and passion, not only from a business perspective but certainly from a financial and an organizational systems perspective. Nadine has great communication and interpersonal skills. She’s an incredible compliment to an already outstanding board.”
That respect is reciprocal.
“I think of all the good people who have been involved with business … the employees, suppliers, community leaders. The kindness of people and the willingness of people to help is my biggest takeaway from 30 years experience,” Tripodi said. “This is an exciting time to be in manufacturing and technology and business. I can’t imagine a more creative way to spend my life than doing what I have been doing all these years”.
Meet the Author: Jaclyn King
Jaclyn is a Digital Marketing Specialist on the BTI Team. Her main job responsibilities involve inbound marketing, content creation, and social media management. To get to know more about Jaclyn, check her out on LinkedIn!